Surrounded by the inspiring vistas of the Loire Valley, explore some of the hundreds of chateaux that line the river on a bike expedition through 1,000 years of royalty and legendary figures, from da Vinci to Joan of Arc. Challenge yourself with a sequence of 15 to 35-mile rides that allow you to stop and explore at leisure, while scheduled stops feature expert lectures about the most breathtaking manor houses in France.

Highlights

• Visit many of the chateaux that have led the Loire Valley to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.• Explore the Château de Blois where Joan of Arc was blessed before defeating the English at Orleáns.• Discover picturesque Amboise, famous for Clos-Lucé, the manor house where Leonardo da Vinci worked.

Activity Particulars

Bike 15-35 miles per a day in single file at 11 miles per hour, with breaks every 20-25 minutes. Rolling terrain, some flat stretches; secondary roads with some traffic. Weather conditions affect biking difficulty. Walking and standing up to two hours. Personal bike helmet required.

Overnight flight from the U.S.A.

1 night

Arrival Chinon

2 nights

Bike to Azay-le-Rideau

2 nights

Get fitted for your bike and learn about safety and the rules of the road before taking off on your first ride. Visit the Château de Chinon and learn about the meeting there between Charles VII and Joan of Arc. Bike to Château d'Ussé, a castle that inspired the setting of Sleeping Beauty. Continue to Azay-le-Rideau, then ride on to Villaines-les-Rochers and observe the wicker craftsmen for which it’s known. Participate in a lecture on the French royalty who built and inhabited many of the chateaux.

Bike to Loches

2 nights

Bike to Chenonceaux

1 night

Ride to Montbazon and walk through the market past carts of fresh fruits, then enjoy a riverside picnic. Bike through quiet farmland to the medieval city of Loches. Continue to the grand Château de Loches, where da Vinci’s patron, Ludovico Sforza, was once held prisoner, then Château de Chenonceau, where Voltaire and Rousseau were guests.

Bike to Chouzy-sur-Cisse

2 nights

Journey to Amboise to visit the one-time home of Leonardo da Vinci — now a museum — and admire the clock tower built by Charles VIII. Arrive in Chouzy-sur-Cisse and enjoy an opportunity to sample local Vouvray wines before visiting the exquisite Château de Chaumont along the Loire. Join your fellow travelers for a lecture on politics and retirement.

Bike to Chitenay

2 nights

Coach to Paris

Departure

Bike to the Château de Blois, a residence of several French monarchs, and see the famous spiral staircase in the François I wing. Bike through the forest and cross the moat to enter the Château de Chambord, known for its beautiful French Renaissance architecture. Join your fellow travelers at a lecture on retirement in France. Coach to Paris for your flight home.

France

The epicurious and the curious find much to admire in Western Europe’s largest nation, whose agricultural riches and terrain of beaches, mountains and fertile fields have drawn residents for thousands of years. The northern region hosts the nation’s Parisian capital, as well as unique Breton culture, while the sun-drenched Mediterranean coast sports the chic beach-goers and the terraced vineyards of the interior.

Travel Details

Start
of Program:
11:30 AM - group meets at Nantes Atlantique Airport You will be staying at ibis Styles Chinon that night.

End
of Program:
Early morning group transfer to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport based on flight departure times. You will be staying at Auberge du Centre the night before.

Required
documents:
The Road Scholar Health & Safety Form is required. International Bicycle Tours, Inc., the entity that will provide the bicycling activity during this program requires signed liability release waivers from all customers. Participants will be required to sign IBT's liability release waiver to participate in the program's bicycling activity. That waiver will be included in the preparatory material participants will receive after enrolling in the program and must be returned prior to the program's commencement.

Parking
availability:
Parking is not available.

Transportation

(For Independent Travelers)

Train
or bus availability:

Taxi, bus and train available. Refer to the SNCF website for specifics and to review schedules and fares: http://www.voyages-sncf.com/.

To
Start of Program

Location:

Chinon

Nearest
airport:

Nantes

Transportation
to site:

Directions to the ibis Styles Chinon: take a taxi from Nantes Atlantique Airport to Nantes main train station (30 minutes). Take a train from Nantes to Chinon; approximate travel time is three to four hours. Train fare will cost about €35. Since there are no direct trains, you will need to change trains typically in Le Mans, Tours or Saint-Pierre-de-Corps. Upon arrival in Chinon, take a taxi to the hotel. Taxi fare will cost about €20.
If you are departing the U.S. prior to the group departure and plan to connect with the group at the airport on the day the program commences, be sure to be at the meeting point at the time indicated. If you plan to meet the group at the ibis Styles Chinon, please notify our office prior to your departure: (860) 767-7005 or info@internationalbicycletours.com.

From
End of Program

Location:

Chitenay

Transportation
from site:

We suggest participants avail themselves of the group transfer to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport as public transportation from Chitenay to the airport is complicated.

Equipment Requirements: Participants must bring and wear their own bicycle helmet.

The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.

Daily Schedule

Day 1:

In Flight(Saturday, June 7)

Evening:

Overnight flight

Day 2:

Arrival/Coach to Chinon(Sunday, June 8)

Morning:

Arrival at Nantes Airport and transfer by coach to the hotel in Chinon.

Safety and Corner System Lectures/Joan of Arc/Château de Chinon(Monday, June 9)

Breakfast:

Breakfast at the hotel

Morning:

After breakfast we will present a lecture on safety, rules of the road and the IBT corner system. We’ll also attend a lecture about the life of Joan of Arc, the chateau of Chinon and the Loire Valley. In town, we’ll see the statue of François Rabelais - the great humorist and satirist, who used the pseudonym Alcofribas Nasier - on the banks of the river. It was at the chateau that Jehanne La Pucelle (Joan the Maid), later known as Joan of Arc, met Charles VII.

Lunch:

Lunch on own to explore local fare.

Afternoon:

We take a guided excursion to the castle, affording splendid views of old Chinon.

Dinner:

Dinner at the hotel

Evening:

After dinner, we’ll have group introductions and T-shirt distribution.

After breakfast, we're off, heading north to Château d'Ussé, built on the site of a medieval fortress. Each century a variety of building styles were added by the successive owners. The result so inspired Charles Perrault that he used it as a setting for his Sleeping Beauty. We explore this remarkable chateau and its gardens.

Bicycle to Villaines-les-Rochers/Château d'Azay-le-Rideau/ The History of France and its Royalty
(Wednesday, June 11)

Breakfast:

Breakfast at the hotel

Morning:

We’re off on a leisurely ride to Villaines-les Rochers, a small village where the local wicker craftsmen grow their own wicker, strip it and use it to create various objects. We return via Saché where Honoré de Balzac, the famous French novelist, wrote some of his finest works. In the village square of Saché one also finds a sculpture of Alexander Calder.

Lunch:

Lunch on own to explore local fare.

Afternoon:

We will take an excursion to the chateau in Azay-le-Rideau, a magnificent example of Renaissance architecture, and end the day with a lecture on the history of France and its royalty.

First stop is Montbazon where, on top of a ruin, a huge Madonna statue stands. After buying groceries and fruit, we continue along the River Indre until we find a good place for a picnic. The area is mostly farmland and fields of sunflowers.

Lunch:

A picnic lunch is planned, weather permitting.

Afternoon:

Expect very little traffic as we wind our way south to the medieval city of Loches where we are expected for the night.

History of Loches Lecture/Excursion to the Château de Loches(Friday, June 13)

Breakfast:

Breakfast at the hotel

Morning:

We start the day with a lecture and field trip to the old town and a visit to the chateau in Loches (located within the city walls). Joan of Arc stopped here in 1429 on her way to Reims. Of interest is the donjon (keep), where prisoners were kept. One such prisoner, Ludovico Sforza, who was Leonardo da Vinci’s patron, wrote on the walls of his dungeon “he who is not content," a sentiment probably shared by others in the donjon.

Lunch:

Lunch on own to explore local fare.

Afternoon:

You are free to explore Loches
before attending a lecture about life in a chateau.

Bicycle to Chenonceaux/Visit its chateau on the River Cher(Saturday, June 14)

Breakfast:

Breakfast at the hotel

Morning:

Many chateaux in France are privately owned (and some are for sale, too) and are not always open to the public. During our two weeks in the Loire Valley we will be passing scores of lovely chateaux, one prettier than the other. A short ride brings us to Chenonceaux, home of the Château de Chenonceau (spelled without the x at the end). The chateau lies on the River Cher and is surrounded by forest; contrary to some fortress-like chateaux, this one conveys instead lightness and grace. In the 1700s, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a tutor to the son of Madame Dupin, the mistress of Chenonceau, said of the chateau: “Life was delightful in that lovely place; I ate very well and grew fat as a monk." We will enjoy this lovely place on our excursion to the Château de Chenonceau.

We're off to Amboise to admire the clock tower built by Charles VIII. Leonardo da Vinci worked and died in Amboise and we will take an excursion to his house, now a museum.

Lunch:

Lunch on own to explore local fare.

Afternoon:

After lunch we continue to our day’s destination, Chouzy-sur-Cisse. Tonight is as good a time as any to sample the local (white) Vouvray wines, grown alongside the Loire River. If you enjoy this wine, look for it at home, Vouvray is widely sold in North America.

Château de Chaumont/French Politics and Retirement Lectures(Monday, June 16)

Breakfast:

Breakfast at the hotel

Morning:

The Château de Chaumont, on the River Loire, is first on the agenda. We take an excursion to this beautiful chateau with its luxurious stables, a pleasant reminder of the days when horse-drawn coaches were the only means of transportation. The name Chaumont came from the 16th century when it was occupied by Charles and his wife Catherine de Sauvigny: their coat of arms was a burning hill and thus the name "chaud mont."

Today we attend a lecture on Blois’ important chateau with its beautiful inner courtyard. The chateau holds several wings named after former occupants. The François I staircase is of great significance: the guests entered the chateau and were greeted by the guards on the balconies.

Lunch:

Lunch on own to explore local fare.

Afternoon:

We'll have free time in Blois before we continue through the forest to Chitenay.

Our last day on the bicycle. The highlight of all chateaux awaits us: a lecture in Château de Chambord. Approaching the chateau from the forest, its looming presence is quite breathtaking. You, too, will understand why this chateau is the favorite of many visitors who come to the Loire Valley. For the next few hours we will walk through the estate of the former counts of Blois.

Lunch:

Lunch on own to explore local fare.

Afternoon:

After returning to the hotel, we reluctantly relinquish our bicycles. Say farewell to your friends at the farewell dinner.

Coach transfer to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris for departure. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you return on more rewarding programs in the future. Please be in touch via the Road Scholar Social Network, where you can share memories, pictures, and comments. Best wishes for all your journeys.

Meals
Included:

Breakfast

Important information about your itinerary: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information featured on this website. Itineraries are based on our best information at this time. Circumstances beyond our control may require us to adjust itineraries or other details. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Information will be sent to you from your Program Provider approximately three weeks prior to the program start date. The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.

Suggested Reading List

A Traveller's History of France

Author: Robert Cole

Description: This fast-moving survey covers the conquests of ancient Gaul through the heady days of revolution to modern times.

A World Lit Only By Fire: The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance, Portrait of an Age

Author: William Manchester

Description: Organized into sections on the Renaissance, Reformation and Discovery, Manchester's popular history evokes in vivid detail the great figures and daily life of the 16th century, including Henry VIII, Magellan, Borgia, da Vinci and Martin Luther.

Adventures on the Wine Route, A Wine Buyer's Tour of France

Author: Kermit Lynch

Description: A delightful and warmly anecdotal book highly recommended for anyone touring the wine regions of France. Lynch brings the domains and appellations of French wine to full-blown life and his portraits of the grand personalities who make the wine are priceless.

Bicycle Diaries

Author: David Byrne

Description: As he makes it clear in this exhilarating chronicle of encounters around the world, David Byrne is hooked on bicycles -- not just to get around New York, but as the preferred form of transportation in places like Buenos Aires, Istanbul, San Francisco, London, Berlin, Manila, Pittsburgh and Cleveland.

Birds of Europe

Author: Lars Svensson

Description: Featuring 3,500 glorious paintings by Killian Mullarney and Dan Zetterstrom, the second edition of this exquisite guide has been updated with revised text and maps.

Cathedrals and Castles, The Cathedral Builders of the Middle Ages

Author: Alain Erlande-Brandenburg

Description: This pocket-size encyclopedia of the art, architecture and culture of the Middle Ages features hundreds of drawings, color illustrations and a brief chronology.

Chocolat

Author: Joanne Harris

Description: This charming novel set in the Loire Valley pits provincial morals against pleasure. Adapted into a popular movie.

Eyewitness Guide Loire Valley

Author: Eyewitness Guides

Description: Visually rich, comprehensive, and practical, this guidebook is an excellent introduction to the history, culture and attractions of the Loire Valley. Highly recommended.

Eyewitness Guide Paris

Author: Eyewitness Guides

Description: Gorgeous, well-illustrated and filled with maps, this compact book provides an excellent overview of the French capital, its history, traditions and sights.

French Revolutions, Cycling the Tour De France

Author: Tim Moore

Description: British humorist, travel writer -- and woefully inexperienced cyclist -- Moore attempts to tackle the Tour de France, all 2,256 miles of it, in this hilarious, irreverent travelogue.

In a Dark Wood Wandering, A Novel of the Middle Ages

Author: Hella Haasse

Description: With a cast of thousands including Joan of Arc and the Dukes of Burgundy, this 1949 historical novel renders the political intrigue, people and texture of 15th-century Europe and of medieval court life during the Hundred Years War.

Joan of Arc

Author: Mary Gordon

Description: In elegant, insightful prose, novelist Gordon meditates on the courageous and complex young girl and the iconic status she has acquired.

Loire Valley Map 517

Author: Michelin Travel Publications

Description: A map of the Loire region of France in the series published by Michelin series, at a scale of 1:200,000.

Lonely Planet French Phrasebook

Author: Marie-Helene Girard, Anny Monet

Description: This handy phrasebook focuses on pronunciation, basic grammar and essential vocabulary for the traveler.

The Autumn of the Middle Ages

Author: Johan Huizinga

Description: A pioneering work of social and cultural history, this well translated classic is a richly detailed portrait of life, thought and art in 14th- and 15th-century France and the Netherlands.

The Food of France

Author: Waverly Root

Description: An evocative and beautifully written survey of French food. First published in 1958 and revised in the mid-1970s, the book covers the important regions of French cuisine by dividing them into domains of Butter (northern France), Fat (Alsace) and Oil (the south).

The Most Beautiful Villages of the Loire

Author: James Bentley, Hugh Palmer (Photographer)

Description: An illustrated portrait of the region, its landscape, architecture, and people, featuring 275 color photographs and accompanying lively essays by Francophile James Bentley.

The Road from the Past, Traveling through History in France

Author: Ina Caro

Description: Time travel through France by way of its finest castles, chateaux, cathedrals and monasteries. This unusual travelogue is an invaluable companion for traveling in Paris, southern France, the Dordogne and the Loire Valley, combining personal observation with large doses of well-presented history.

You can't find a better value than Road Scholar.

As a not-for-profit organization, we are dedicated to providing all-inclusive educational programs at great value. From lectures to gratuities to field trips to accommodations - the tuition you pay up front is all that you pay.

Specifically, this program includes:

11 nights accommodations

22 meals:
11 breakfasts, 0 lunches, 11 dinners

Expert-led lectures: 8

Expert-led lectures

Led by one or more of our world-class instructors, typically in a classroom setting, lectures come in the form of presentations, discussions or workshops and offer expert insight into your area of study.

Field trips: 11

Field trips

The world is your classroom, as you're on location with an instructor to pursue your educational theme firsthand.

Plus these special experiences...

Explore the Château de Chinon where Joan of Arc met Charles VII.

Marvel at the different building styles at Château d'Ussé.

Study the inventions by Leonardo da Vinci in his house in Amboise where he worked and died.

The highlight of chateaux is Château de Chambord, located in a dense forest. This masterpiece will surely captivate you.

View the Daily Schedule to see more

And included with all Road Scholar programs:

Learning led by expert instructors who are authorities in the field of study.

An experienced Group Leader attuned to the needs of Road Scholar participants.

Customary gratuities throughout the program that you would normally pay yourself.